UAE counsel,
backed by 134 years of Australian legal heritage.
Neo Legal Consultancy FZ-LLC is the UAE practice of Cornwalls — one of Australia's oldest and most independent law firms, established in 1891, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The group structure delivers integrated Australian and UAE counsel under one roof, particularly relevant for cross-border tax structuring, M&A, family-office establishment and UAE-relocation of Australian principals and businesses.
Australian counsel, on the ground.
UAE counsel, on the ground.
One coordinated engagement.
Most boutique UAE law firms are stand-alone. Most international firms operating in the UAE are large branch offices answering to home-jurisdiction priorities. Neo Legal is built differently — a focused UAE specialist with the institutional depth of an established Australian law firm behind it.
This matters most for clients with cross-border profiles: an Australian principal relocating to Dubai, a UAE family-office acquiring an Australian asset, a Dubai-based business expanding south, an Australian fund manager establishing a UAE platform. In every case the AU-side and the UAE-side need to be designed together, not in serial referrals between unaffiliated counsel.
How the group works in practice.
One of Australia's oldest and most independent law firms, established by Frank Cornwall and Harry Sugden in 1891. Cornwalls maintains offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and provides a full range of commercial law services — corporate & commercial, M&A, tax, banking & finance, property, employment, intellectual property, fintech, litigation, restructuring, wills & estates, and 18+ other practice areas. Member firm of ALFA International and Andersen Global.
cornwalls.com.au →The Cornwalls Group's UAE practice, based in the United Arab Emirates and providing senior-only counsel across UAE financial-services licensing (DFSA, FSRA, CBUAE, CMA), VARA licensing and Category 1 token issuance, family-office establishment, M&A, international structuring and digital assets. Neo Legal handles UAE matters directly and coordinates with Cornwalls when Australian-side work is in scope.
neolegal.ae →The strategic logic.
Three structural realities make an Australia-UAE law-firm group materially more useful than the alternative arrangements.
What the group structure delivers.
The group structure isn't a logo on a footer — it is an operational arrangement that materially changes how cross-border matters are run.
Single engagement, two-jurisdiction execution
Where both AU-side and UAE-side counsel are needed, you instruct once. Engagement letters are coordinated, fee arrangements are aligned, and conflicts are checked group-wide. There is no referral fee, no scope-of-work seam between firms, and no back-and-forth on which firm is leading.
Integrated structuring
The UAE corporate, tax and regulatory architecture is designed against the Australian side from inception — not retrofitted after a UAE plan has been signed off without AU-side input. The most expensive mistakes we see in AU-UAE structures are the result of single-jurisdiction design.
Continuing AU-side capability after relocation
Australian principals who relocate to the UAE often need ongoing AU-side work for years: residual AU asset administration, SMSF wind-downs, AU trust restructures, CGT-event resolution, estate planning. The group structure means this continues seamlessly with the same firm.
Reciprocal regulatory and tax expertise
UAE Corporate Tax and Pillar Two have substantial AU-DTA and AU-tax-residency interactions. Australian ATO residency, CGT and Division 855 mechanics interact with UAE Free Zone Person status. Both sides need to be in the same conversation.
Clients best served by the group structure.
- Australian principals relocating to the UAE. The full ATO-residency, CGT-exit, UAE-corporate, UAE-residency, banking sequence as one engagement.
- Australian businesses establishing a UAE platform. Cornwalls handles the Australian-side restructure and tax position; Neo Legal handles the UAE incorporation, regulatory licensing and operational setup.
- UAE family offices with Australian assets or beneficiaries. Coordinated estate-planning, trust-administration and tax-position management across both jurisdictions.
- Cross-border M&A involving AU and UAE counterparties. One legal team across both sides, with reciprocal regulatory and tax expertise.
- Australian fund managers establishing UAE platforms. ASIC AFSL wind-down or maintenance coordinated with DFSA or FSRA fund-manager licensing.
- UAE-based businesses expanding into Australia. The reverse pathway — UAE-side setup informing AU-side market entry.
Need coordinated AU-UAE counsel?
Whether you are an Australian principal relocating, a UAE family office with Australian assets, or a business with operations on both sides, the group structure delivers integrated execution. Senior counsel only — from both jurisdictions.
Speak with senior counselVisit Cornwalls